Overwinding preventer



Sept. 18, 1923.

D. E. ODOM OVERWINDING PREVENTER Filed March 4, 1922 Z Maia??? PatentedSept. '18, 1923.

DANIEL E- ODOM, 0F BENNETTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

OVIEBMTINDING' EREVENTER. I

Application filed llarch 4, 1922. Serial No. 541,186.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Damn E. CD011, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bennettsville, in the. county of Marlboro and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overwinding Preventers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in overwinding preventersand has re lation more particularly to a device of this characterdesigned for use in connection with the winding shaft of a spring motor,and itis an object of the invention to provide a novel and improveddevice of this character which 0 erates as a clutch normally connectingte spring shaft and a coactin winding element locked for unitary rotatlonand which becomes inoperative by the resistance of the sprin when thetension of said spring has reache a predetermined degree andparticularly when said spring has been substantially completely wound. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improveddevice of this general character comprising two relatively rotatablemembers having associated therewith means for normally connecting thesame for unitary rotation, one of said members being adapted foroperative connection with the winding shaft of a spring and the other ofsaid members being ada ted for operative connectionwith a means orrotating both of said members under normal conditions.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of'the several parts of my improvedoverwinding preventer whereby certain important advantages are attainedand the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise moreconvenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitelyclaimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the same wlth reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevationillustrating Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantlally on the hue2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 1s a sectional view taken substantlally on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2; and

Flgure 4 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in sectionillustrating an overwmdm preventer constructed in accordance with afurther embodiment of my IIIXIltQILl d h s 1sc ose m t e accom an indrawmgs, W denotes a winding sh ft fbr 5 spring S comprlsed in a motorstructure or the like and one end portion of the shaft W is providedwith a socket 1 to provide means whereby. my improved overwindingprevertifier may be operatively engaged there- W1 r 2 denotes a platepreferably circular in form and of desired diameter and which hasextendlng outwardly from its central portion a shank or shaft section 3which is adapted to be threaded within the socket 1 so that the plate 2is operatively en aged with the shaft W. The shank or sha section 3 maybe secured to the plate 2 in any deslred manner so that said shank orshaft sectlon 3 and plate 2 are connected for unitar rotation.

he inner or connected end portion of the shank or shaft section 3 isprovided with a socket 4 which receives a reduced extension 5 carried bya cylindrical block or head 6, The extension 5 is at the axial center ofthe block or head 6 and extending outwardl from the opposite end of thehead or bloc 6 and at the axial center thereof is a reduced cyhndricalextension 7 which is snugly engaged withm an opening 8. The opening 8 isarranged at the central portion of a second plate 9 also circular inform and of substantially the same radius as the plate 2 hereinbeforereferred to. Through the instrumentality of the extensions 5 and 7, theblock or head 6 is supported for rotation independently of the shank orshaft section 3.

Extending outwardly from the extension 7 of the block or head 6 and atthe axial center thereof is a shank 10 with which is adapted to beengaged an operating member C herein disclosed as a crank of aconventional ty e. The block or head 6 has disposed radiallytherethrough a kerf 11, said kerfbeing herein disclosed as alsocontinued through the extension 5, said kerf providing an openingthrough which is disposed an elongated resilient member 12. Asis hereindisclosed'the I at the peripheral portions or sleeve 14: which providesmeans to prevent thereof is a collar the ingress of dust or otherforeign matter between said plates 2 and9 and which othera wise wouldhave a tendency to interfere with or hinder the desired functioning ofthe device. The lates 2 and 9,- together with the collar or s eevel i,are maintained in required assembl through the medium of thesubstantial] iametrically opposed rivets 15 or other olding members,said rivets being positioned in close proximity to the sleeve or collar14.

Secured between the plates 2 and 9 and held in desired osition by therivets 15 are the blocks lfi, t e peripheral configuration of each ofsaid blocks being such as'to have close contact at all points with theinterior wall of the sleeve or collar 14. The inner longitudinal faces aof theblocks 16 are disposed on a predetermined contour, the contour ofthe face a of one block being complemental to the face a of the secondblock. The provision of the faces a cause said blocks to serve as wedgesand the end of each of saidblocks 16 at the high point of the 'curvedface a is substantially radially disposed to provide an abrupt drop orshoulder 12.

The resilient member 12 is of such length that the extremities thereofwillcontact with theinterposed sleeve or collar 14 at the portionsthereof between the blocks 16 but upon requisite rotation of the blockor head 6 through the instrumentality of the crank C or the like, theextremities of said resilient member 12 will ride over the curved orthought to be obvious that an overwinding i wedged .faces a of saidblocks with sufficient resultant friction to cause the plates 2 and 9 torotate in unison with the head or block 6 to effect the desired turningof the shaft W to wind the spring S. When the spring S has been wound toa degree of tens1on in excess of the frictional resistance of theextremities of the member 12 with the wedges or blocks 16, theextremities of said resilient member 12 will ride over said wedges orblocks toward the high end thereof so that as said extremities passbeyond the shoulders I), the same will have forcible contact with thecollar or sleeve 14 and with sufficient imact to give an audible signalthat the spring g has been'sufiiciently or properly wound.

When it is desired to remove the device from the shaft W, it is onlynecessary to turn the operating member or crank C in the reversedlrection. This will result in the extremities of the resilient member.12 contacting with the shoulders I) of the wedges or blocks 16, causingthe plates 2 and 9 to Y rotate inthe required direction to separate theshank or shaft section 3 from the shaft W. v

i As is articularl illustrated in Figure 2, it is to e noted t at theperiphery of the head or block 6 rearwardly of the extended portions ofthe resilient member 12, considered during the normal rotation of thehead or block 6, is cut away, as at 17. This permits increased fiexureof the resilient member 12 during its normal functioning andalso'provides the shoulders 18 to further strengthen or stiffen theresilient member 12 when the block or head 6'is rotated in the reversedirection to'separat'e the device from the shaft W.

In order that the resilient member 12 may be maintained against endwisemovement through or independently of the head or block 6, said member 12is rovided at its central portion with a small extension or spur 19which engages within a suitable recess 20 formed in the inner or basewall of the kerf 11. This feature is believed to be clearly illustratedin Figure 3 of the accompanyin drawings.

In t e embodiment of my invention as illustrated in Figure 4, the heador block 6 has disposed therethrough a resilient member 12. This member12' preferably comprises a wire of requisite guage and tension. Thismember 12' is also substantially sigmoidal in form and'the extremitiesof said member engage or coact with the rivets 15' to effect the desiredrotation of the spring shaft. As the extremities of the resilient member12' pass over the rivets 15', after the spring has been sufficientlywound, they will contact with the sleeve or collar 14' with quiredaudible signal.

From the foregoing description it is preventer constructed in accordancewith my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of theconvenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated,and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of somechange and modification without departing from the principles and spiritthereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several partsherein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except ashereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. Spring overwinding preventing means embodying a shaft and meansplaced under tension by the shaft upon rotation thereof, two membersconnected for relative rotation, one of said members being engaged withthe shaft for rotation therewith, the second member being provided withmeans suflicient force or impact to' give the ree for rotating the same,one of said members comprising a sleeve and the second of said membersbeing rotatably arranged therein, and a resilient member carried by thelast named member and having contact with the sleeve, said sleeve beingprovided with means coacting with the extremities of the resilientmember to increase the frictional contact of said resilient member withthe sleeve upon relative rotation of the two first named members.

2. Spring overwinding preventing means embodying a shaft and meansplaced under tension by the shaft upon rotation thereof, a memberengaged with said shaft for rotation therewith, a second member, meansfor rotatably supporting said second named member by the first namedmember, means for rotating said second named member, a resilientmembercarried by the second named member and extending later-ally therefrom,and means carried by the first named member positioned to be engaged bythe resilient member upon rotation of the second named member toincrease the tension of the resilient member to cause both of themembers to rotate in unison, said resilient member passing out ofcontact with said last named means when the exertion of the tensioningmeans reaches a predetermined degree.

3. Spring overwinding preventing means embodying a shaft and meansplaced under tension by the .shaft upon rotation thereof, a memberengaged with said shaft for rotation therewith, a second member, meansfor rotatably supporting said second named member by the first namedmember, means for rotating said second named member, a resilient membercarried by the second named member and extending laterally therefrom,and means carried by the first named member positioned to be engaged bythe resilient member upon rotation of the second named member. toincrease the tension of the resilient member to cause both of themembers to rotate in unison, said resilient member paming out of contactwith said last named means when the exertion of the tensioning meansreaches a predeter- .mined degree, said last named means comprising awedge-shaped member.

4;. Spring overwinding preventing means embodying a shaft and meansplaced under tension by the shaft upon rotation thereof, a sleeveoperatively engaged with the shaft for rotation therewith, a memberrotatably supported within the sleeve and provided with means forrotating the same, a resilient member carried by the first named memberand extending laterally therefrom and of a length to contact with thesleeve, and means arranged inwardly of the sleeve and movable therewithto increase the tension of the resilient member.

5. Spring overwinding preventing means embodying a shaft and meansplaced under tension by the shaft upon rotation thereof, a sleeveoperatively engaged with the shaft for rotation therewith, a memberrotatably supported Within the sleeve and provided with means forrotating the same, a resilient member carried by the first named memberand extending laterally therefrom and of a length to contact with thesleeve, and means arranged inwardly of the sleeve and movable therewithto increase the tension of the resilient member, said resilient memberupon passing over the last named means contacting with the sleeve withsufiicient impact to produce an audible signal.

6. Spring overwinding preventing means embodying a shaft and meansplaced under tension by the shaft upon rotation thereof, of two members,one of said members constituting a sleeve and the other a block Withinthe sleeve, one of said members being-operatively engaged with the shaftand the second member being provided with means for rotating the same, aresilient member extending laterally from the block, and meansassociated with the sleeve to increase the tension of the resilientmember to cause both of'the first named members to rotate in unison.

7. Spring overwinding preventing means embodying a spring supportingshaft, a socket member threaded in an opening provided in the springsupporting shaft, a holding member having a threaded stem and anextension, said extension being disposed in the socket member, a handlemember engaged with said threaded stem, a plate carried by the threadedsocket, a plate carried by the holding member adjacent the threaded stemthereof, a band secured between said plates, in spaced relation to theholding member, wedge shaped blocks disposed between said plates andengaged with the band, and a combined resilient clapper and pawl membercarried by the holding member and having its ends disposed forengagement with the wedge blocks.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

DANIEL E. ODOM.

